V2 feedback needed: custom character sheets

I don't think I follow. Still figuring it out, but custom sheets will now live at the same "level" as pre-built sheets. When a sheet is created, it'll start as v1. You can then select it as a character type to create to fill out. If you edit the sheet itself, it'll become v2, etc. So if you move stuff around, it'll continue to work (you'll just need to update any created characters to v2). But I'm building blocks for things like a "repeater", which functions like the dnd 5e skill section: some inputs + a "add skill" button, which i don't think can be done with the current custom setup?

I meant more the specific functionality of the [ability] tag, being able to edit a specific section of an already existing sheet (not the template, a sheet) by clicking the quill icon

Like, for example, with the current 13th Age sheet If I want to edit a section in it, I have to press Edit which allows to edit every section at once. But with a custom sheet, I can just press the quill icon next to the section and only edit said section without editing the whole sheet.

I'd like a class/element/block which can function like that, if possible?

"Add skill" one is good, I like it. But it might get pretty long for inventories, so just a text field which can be quickly edited would be handy. :3 I think so, at least. I know not everyone uses the quill button.

Oh, interesting, no, didn't think of that. It's doable, but given this site is API driven and thus will be a lot faster to edit, I wonder if that will be as necessary? The way it's being built, it should "hot swap" between edit and display modes.

I guess we'll see in practice then! Good to know it's doable though, maybe if there is demand it can be an add-on later on. :D

If it's not a big hassle, I would like to have that feature too - in my character sheets, the "ability" section functions a blank space to jot down notes with unlimited size.

If 'add skill/trait/whatever' becomes a thing, one thing I'm wondering about is calculating point totals. Right now I have a manually-made sheet that does that for skills, but does not allow adding more lines (since it would need to adjust the formula). I wonder if a formula that goes 'sum all across [category]'s [field]' would become possible instead.

I just added a formula system yesterday! It's rudimentary, but I'm sure we can expand it to fit needs.

Also, each block will be versioned, so if we add new features or change how a block works into the future, old sheets won't break.

Here's a doc outlining all the features of the current sheet builder. Feel free to give feedback. It's definitely not a fixed or exhaustive list, just the starting point. I know it's a bit technical. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JWv1JewvUBHOh-Th19iBIvyWBT20I1G2124Qb2VwcaE/edit?usp=sharing

Ooh, I like what I'm seeing!

Are you going to add any node types for image elements, or would they be limited to background-image? I like adding full size avatars to my sheets, thus something to replace [img] on it would be nice (plus the usual avatars). :3

And maybe if you are going to be changing how avatars are added, sheets can support having multiple avatar images? So player can choose between them when posting (like different expressions, or different art for characters who shapeshift).

It looks interesting, but it's outside my expertise so I can only sort of parse what I'm looking at.

Yup, can do that.
That's an interesting one that would be a bit more difficult under the current structure. I'll have to defer that one to a later update.

I am not a coder, but one of the things that I love most about running games on GP is the ability to store groups of NPC avatars and easily post as them. In BBC I think it is the [npc] tag. Perhaps that touches on the multipe avatar images, but is this a feature possible to include? Even outside of character sheets, the GM having access to a toolbox of NPC avatars is wonderful.

Totally agree, C1NDER. Even if that easy-post-as-NPC feature isn't live out of the gate, I would consider it a core requirement -- it's a *big* differentiator vs. other PbP sites.

Took a cursory look at the document. Particularly like section 7.3 - Operators

Adding my name to C1NDER and Harrigan regarding the post-as-NPC feature.

If sheets could contain a set of avatar + name pairs you can post as, it would work for both making NPC lists and characters with multiple avatars. Just saying. :P

Speaking of, how would posting as a character work with these new sheets? In the example in the document the character name is not a class of its own, just a label-input group, so is it going to be a separate field automatically added for all sheets? Or is there going to be a class for it? Or would it depend on the input name? Same question for the avatars.

Avatars are separate, and name and notes are required fields in any character sheet. If you remove them, it won't save. This means you can have name anywhere in the sheet (doesn't have to be right at the beginning), as long as it exists.

As for the "post as NPC", do we mean as a NPC that doesn't have to have a char sheet? In the past, I considered NPC sheets, simple, low field count sheets that had basic info and an avatar. That's something someone could design (stat fields, maybe a skill field, notes) + avatars. As a note, I've upped the character avatar count to 5. Still figuring out how to do the posting part, but yah.

As for posting as NPCs, both full-sheet and no-sheet options are of use, because not all NPCs on whose behalf one posts have sheets. (Also, sometimes one posts on the behalf of a PC using a sheetless avatar, e.g. when a PC has many disguises or shapeshifts improvisationally.)

Ok, maybe we can do something where you can upload NPC avatars and then just post as a name. But I'll probably have to limit it, to avoid people spamming avatars and to not overuse space. What's a reasonable limit? 20?

I'm pretty sure people have way more than sheetless 20 NPCs. I nominally have 20 NPCs-who-will-eventually-get-sheets in my campaign, but I'm trying to run an academic setting centred on a specific class.

Also, can we retain externally-hosted sheetless NPC portraits like we have now?

For me, something as "simple" as this element would suffice:To render it, my suggestion would be to show a new drop-down, under "Post as", if there are more than 1 avatar for this character